Help roofers by performing duties requiring less skill. Duties include using, supplying or holding materials or tools, and cleaning work area and equipment.
U.S. Workers
5,170
Median Salary
$40,590
10-Year Growth
+5.7%
Annual Openings
600
Typical entry: No formal educational credential
13 of 18 tasks have some AI capability
Exposure Trend
This score reflects estimated AI technical capability for tasks in this occupation. It does not predict employment changes, and it does not account for company-specific constraints, regulation, or adoption barriers.
Locate worn or torn areas in roofs.
AI: Fully automatable - Commercial drone imagery plus computer-vision models can reliably detect visible worn or torn areas on roofs, enabling automated location of many defects.
Check to ensure that completed roofs are watertight.
AI: Partial - Drones and computer vision can detect many roofing defects and moisture issues, enabling automated inspection support, but final assurance and complex judgement still often need human validation.
Sweep and clean roofs to prepare them for the application of new roofing materials.
AI: Partial - Robotic sweepers and vacuum systems can remove debris on predictable surfaces, but roof geometry, safety, and varying materials currently limit fully autonomous roof preparation in most field settings.
Clean work areas and equipment.
AI: Partial - Cleaning in variable, hazardous rooftop environments requires mobile manipulation and on-site judgment that AI-controlled systems can only partially handle today.
Maintain tools and equipment.
AI: Partial - AI can provide diagnostics, predictive schedules, and procedural guidance for tool upkeep but cannot yet perform the full range of hands-on maintenance across diverse field conditions.
Cover roofs with layers of roofing felt or asphalt strips before installing tile, slate, or composition materials.
AI: Partial - Covering roofs with felt or asphalt strips demands dexterous material handling, alignment, and adaptation to changing site conditions that current AI/robotics only partially automate.
Remove old roofing materials.
AI: Partial - Removing old roofing materials involves heavy, unstructured physical labor and variable conditions where mechanized tools assist but full autonomous removal is not generally available.
Unload materials and tools from work trucks, and unroll roofing as directed.
AI: Partial - Unloading materials and unrolling roofing can be aided by mechanized lifts and guidance systems but typically still requires human physical labor and supervision.
Set ladders, scaffolds, and hoists in place for taking supplies to roofs.
AI: Partial - Setting ladders, scaffolds, and hoists requires complex assembly, safety judgment, and adaptation to uneven terrain that AI systems cannot fully automate yet.
Place tiles, nail them to roof boards, and cover nailheads with roofing cement.
AI: Partial - Placing tiles, nailing them, and covering nailheads require precise manual dexterity and on-the-fly decision-making that current AI/robots cannot fully replicate.
Provide assistance to skilled roofers installing and repairing roofs, flashings, and surfaces.
AI: Partial - Assisting skilled roofers involves nuanced, variable support and physical tasks where AI can provide guidance or semi-autonomous tools but cannot fully replace human helpers.
Attach roofing paper and composition shingles, using nails.
AI: Partial - Attaching roofing paper and composition shingles with nails is partially automatable with specialized fastening tools and guidance but still depends on human labor for quality and safety assurance.
Clear drains and downspouts and clean gutters.
AI: Partial - Clearing gutters and downspouts can be partially automated with specialized robots and remote monitoring, but those solutions are not universally applicable or fully reliable across all contexts in 2025.
Perform emergency leak repairs and general maintenance for a variety of roof types.
AI: Not automatable - Emergency leak repair and general roof maintenance require on-site manual work in variable, hazardous conditions and no widely available autonomous systems can perform the full job in 2025.
Attach sheets of metal to roof boards or building frameworks when installing metal roofs.
AI: Not automatable - Attaching metal roofing sheets is precision physical labor on variable, elevated worksites and is not fully automatable with deployed AI/robotics by 2025.
Hoist tar and roofing materials to roofs, using ropes and pulleys, or carry materials up ladders.
AI: Not automatable - Hoisting and carrying roofing materials is site-specific physical material handling; while mechanized hoists exist, AI does not fully replace the human crew responsibilities in most real-world settings in 2025.
Apply shingles, gravel, or asphalt over the top layer of tar to protect the roofing material.
AI: Not automatable - Applying shingles, gravel, or asphalt involves manual dexterity, judgement and adaptation to roof conditions and remains a human physical task in 2025.
Chop tar into small pieces, and heat chopped tar in kettles.
AI: Not automatable - Chopping and heating tar are hazardous, hands‑on operations requiring human supervision and manual control of equipment that AI does not autonomously perform in typical sites as of 2025.